NEW YORK: Anheuser-Busch InBev NV (AB InBev) chief executive officer Michel Doukeris is considering a sale of some German beer brands it has owned for decades as the world’s largest brewer aims to prune less profitable businesses and trim debt.
The brewer is exploring the sale of labels such as Franziskaner Weissbier, Hasseroeder and Spaten, and the portfolio could fetch about €1bil (US$1.2bil or RM5.02bil), people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information.
A shift away from Europe’s largest beer-producing country would signal that Doukeris, three months into his job, is accelerating efforts to refocus the business amid demand for newer drinks such as seltzers.
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